Tag Archives: Working from Home

How to Effectively Work from Home

April 17, 2018 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , 12 Comments

Working from home is a great opportunity. If you have the privilege of working from home, I say grab it with 2 hands. It is good to be able to work from home or anywhere you find yourself. But it can be very tricky when it comes to finances. Working from home can also have both a positive and negative affect on your mental health.

It’s very important to set up a good space to work in that will allow you to work effectively and feel comfortable. The following tips are helpful for anyone that works from home whether you are launching your own fashion label, studying an online RN to BSN program, or are employed by a company.  

 

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Here are five tips to help you squeeze the most from working from home.

 

Setting up the work space

The first step, in setting up your office is to declutter the space.  A distraction free environment will allow you to focus on work. So set up your owkr space and get rid of any clutter or distraction. 

 

Furniture

There’s a very strong chance you’ll need a desk, even if you are working from a laptop. You will want to spread out and be able to focus on your work.  The most basic office furniture checklist comprises a desk, a supportive chair, a bright lamp, and some type of file storage system.

What you sit in is extremely important, as you’ll likely be sitting in this chair upwards of eight hours a day.  For this reason you’ll want a chair with decent ergonomic support and plenty of padding as you don’t want to be suffering with a bad back due to your desk and chair set-up.

 

Work when you should

It’s all too tempting for you to lose focus on your work when working from home. Especially with the many social media platforms. You have to have the discipline to work when you should, or you will spend the time doing nothing productive. 

 

Have a routine

Working from home can be both a blessing and a curse; on the one hand your commute is now limited to going from your bedroom to your home office, which has huge benefits in terms of convenience, but it can create a less focused emotional state if you’re used to a morning ritual of getting dressed in business attire (rather than sweatpants or your dressing gown) and being around colleagues in a similar state of ‘working’.  

 

The most important thing in terms of having a routine, is that it provides structure and keeps you focused – set yourself a lunch hour between a set time each day, or adopt the approach that many successful people take which is to get dressed for work, as if you were going to the office, rather than sitting around in your underwear.

Do you work from home? What do you think of these tips? Please sound off in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading.

*Collaborative post.

The Risky World of Freelance

July 26, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , 16 Comments

Being your own boss is the way to go! Freelance is the dream! You get to determine how much you earn. Flexible working hours, give you the opportunity to spend time with your family and friends. You’re not limited to a cubicle. Instead you can carry your laptop and work anywhere – from a hotel lobby to your favourite café.

Before you transition into the freelance lifestyle, you’re going to have to have to take risks. Because, let’s face it, it’s a risk to leave the safety of the cubicle. It’s a risk to move into a career that is unfamiliar to society. No matter what anyone says, the life of a freelancer is worth it.

 

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Here are some of the most common risks you will face as a freelancer and how you can embrace the risks and make the most out of your journey as a freelancer.

 

Taking responsibility for the progress of your business

A 9 to 5 runs pretty much on autopilot. Most times you’re not really concerned about whether the business is doing well or not, so long as you finish your assignments or projects and meet the deadlines. But as a freelancer, you are in charge of your business, and you are the one who determines the progress and vibe of your business. If your business is failing, you have no one to blame but yourself. This can be overwhelming as the pressure is always on to be and stay successful at what you do.

Don’t let this discourage you. See your freelancing business as an opportunity to dictate the flow of your business. Being in charge is the most empowering thing ever.

 

Your income is not going to be stable

Just like every business, you’re going to face some down time in your freelance career. Unlike a 9 to 5, freelancers don’t get a fixed salary. Their income is determined by the volume of projects they get to handle. But there will be days when you will make a lot of money and there will be days when you won’t make a penny. This makes budgeting really difficult as you can never know how much you’ll get at the end of the month.

Don’t let this discourage you. An unstable income is a great opportunity to push you to come up with creative ideas to increase the volume of work coming to your business. You can set up programmes, pitch to potential clients, go into coaching and create courses. These help open the doors to various streams of income.

 

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Working from home will make you lazy

There’s a huge difference between working from home and working in an office. The office gives you the illusion of serious environment where everyone is engaged in one project or another. If you’re working from the comfort of your home, the tendency to lounge is high. There will be days when you won’t feel like working when you can probably sit on your couch and watch a movie.

Don’t let this discourage you. Working from home will teach you to be disciplined with your time and space. Having a special corner where you do all you work and defined working hours would help massively. Be open with your family members and let them know that your working hours and be sure to set your boundaries.

 

Are you a freelancer? How do you deal with the uncertainty? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading, sharing and commenting.

 

 

 

How to Stay Motivated Working from Home

July 6, 2017 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 35 Comments

I have shared, on several occasions, how freelancing has changed my life. I think this is one of the best professions on earth! If I were given a chance to start all over again, I’d still choose to be a freelancer. With all the opportunities and benefits freelancing offers, it is, by far, the most effective way for me to earn a living.

But freelancing is not for everyone, and I get that. Many people I know struggle to motivate themselves whilst working from home, so they stick to the 9-5, while others struggle to stay motivated but want to continue freelancing.

 

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The beauty of Freelancing, is that it gives you the chance to work from anywhere you want and have flexible working hours too. But more often than not, we forget so soon that being a freelancer means that you are the boss of your own business and you have to run, regardless of where you work from.

When you start taking freelancing lightly, you have no motivation to work, you don’t meet deadlines and you are losing the desire to carry on. Here is how you can stay focused on your business and stay motivated everyday as you continue your journey as a freelancer.

Have a goal

Having a goal always works. Goal setting is one of the most important things to do when you’re running a business. With a goal in mind, you are able to know where you are headed, and stay focused.

Set yearly goals then break them up into smaller goals for the month, week and day. Make sure that everything you do is aimed at taking one definite action towards achieving what you desire.

Have an accountability partner

When you’re your own boss, you don’t have anyone checking up on you, which means you could end up slacking sometimes. The best way to get yourself motivated to work from home is to have someone who, just like you, is running a similar business.

Share your goals with your accountability partner and check on each other to find out how you are fairing in your business. When you know someone is going to ask of your progress you are bound to be on your toes and work harder to ensure you smash all your targets.

 

 

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Affirmations

Reciting affirmations daily keeps you motivated and leaves you with a positive mindset. Sometimes, it gets lonely and overwhelming working from home. Recite positive affirmations daily helps to keep your state of mind and business.

I recommend that you recite at least 3 to 5 positive affirmations every morning before you start work. When I do this I feel refreshed and ready to face any challenge that may come my way.

 

Change your environment

Working from home is not like working in a cubicle. A regular 9 to 5 job keeps you in physical contact with people. While working from home could mean days go by without you speaking to anyone (except family and maybe the postman).

The beauty about being a freelancer is that you can work anywhere you want to. You can take your work to your favourite café, park or even on holiday with you, like I plan to do in a few days. Changing your work environment does help keep the work interesting.

Do you work from home? How do you motivate yourself to work?

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